Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

यच्छ्राद्धं वीक्षते श्वा वा नारी वाऽथ रजस्वला । पतितो वा वराहो वा तच्छ्राद्धं व्यर्थतां व्रजेत्

Transliteration

yacchrāddhaṃ vīkṣate śvā vā nārī vā'tha rajasvalā | patito vā varāho vā tacchrāddhaṃ vyarthatāṃ vrajet

Translation

శ్రాద్ధాన్ని కుక్క గానీ, రజస్వల స్త్రీ గానీ, పతితుడు గానీ, వరాహం గానీ చూచినచో ఆ శ్రాద్ధం నిష్ఫలమగును।

Word by Word

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘श्राद्धम्’ विशेषण (relative)

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• vīkṣate: sees, looks at
• vīkṣate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-īkṣ (ईक्ष् धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• śvā: a dog
• śvā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śvan (श्वन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• nārī: a woman
• nārī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• atha: or else, and also
• atha: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/विकल्पसूचक अव्यय (then/also)

• rajasvalā: a menstruating woman
• rajasvalā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajasvala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• patitaḥ: a fallen (outcaste) person
• patitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pat (पत् धातु) + patita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) प्रातिपदिकवत्, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; ‘पतित’ = outcaste/fallen person

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• varāhaḥ: a boar
• varāhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘श्राद्धम्’ विशेषण (that)

• śrāddham: the śrāddha
• śrāddham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• vyarthatām: futility, uselessness
• vyarthatām: Karma (Object/Result)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyarthatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• vrajet: would go to / becomes
• vrajet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vraj (व्रज् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder conducts śrāddha before a small pitṛ-vedi; the space is curtained; outside the boundary stand a dog and a boar, while an attendant gestures to keep the ritual area protected; brāhmaṇas sit in orderly rows with kuśa and water-vessels.

Characters & Entities

• Śvā (dog)
• Rajasvalā (menstruating woman)
• Patita (fallen person)
• Varāha (boar)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rites for the ancestors are to be guarded carefully; negligence about purity and setting is said to diminish the intended spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse focuses on śrāddha doṣa (ritual impediments) rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ensure the śrāddha is not observed by a dog, a menstruating woman, a patita, or a boar; otherwise the rite is declared ineffective.